November 20, 2001

Well, Jackson Curtis Wellington Manullang has arrived. Get to know him!
The surgery last Tuesday went well. I was glad to hear the doctor say, when Jack's head circumference was measured, that I would've had to have a c-section to get that noggin out. So for those of you who thought I was nuts for choosing a c-section, I laugh in your general direction! Ha! I'm glad I didn't have to go through a hard labor to end up with a surgical delivery anyway. Jack was born less than half an hour after I was wheeled into the O.R. It was totally worth it.
We had lots of visitors and phone calls--if you can actually enjoy a hospital stay, we did! There were only a couple nurses that I didn't like (unlike last time) so that made things a little better too. Even so, we were glad to check out on Friday and get home.
In case you were wondering, Jack was named after his two grandfathers. "Jackson," his first name, we just liked. We know better than to pick four-syllable first names to go with a last name like Manullang. It wasn't until we were on the way to the hospital last Tuesday morning that we finally decided what his name would be, though. He's so small right now that it seems like a really big name for a little baby--he's got a lot to live up to, I guess.
Jack is doing great. He wakes up several times during the night, but always goes right back to sleep after eating, which his sister never did. I realize he's only a week old, but he still sleeps so much that it almost seems like we don't have a new baby in the house! He's fairly quiet, even during his longer awake times. The only times he really cries are when he's hungry and when he's having his diaper changed. I know, I know... that'll change.
Katie's getting used to him too, and is very curious about everything he does. She likes to help out by handing him his pacifier ("Here ya go!") and petting him just like she does Scout. His cry is very loud, though, and she doesn't like that a bit. We're trying to give her lots of extra attention--tonight she and Daddy had a date at the play area at the mall, which she enjoyed very much.
The grandmas have been so helpful as we have adjusted to being a larger family. Darlene and Wellington are here this week. My mom was here over the weekend, and will be back again in a couple weeks. Katie and Scout enjoy the extra attention, and Mom and Dad appreciate a little extra peace when they've taken over. My recovery is going to take a while, of course, and that makes me appreciate the extra help a LOT!
Seems like there's not much else to report. I'll try to keep the site updated with pictures as Jack grows. I've found an easy way to do that--when having rolls of film developed, I get a Kodak Picture CD and then I don't have to scan snapshots. Sure saves a lot of time and effort, at least until we choose a digital camera.
Happy Thanksgiving!